Frederick h



. UNITED STATES .PATENT orEicE.

FREDERICK H. HORNING, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TQTHE SWISS MAGNET COMPANY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A. CORPORATION OE NEW YORK.

STARTING-COUPLING FOR HIGH-TENSION' MAGNETOS.

specification of Letters Patent.

Plat-enten July 1, 191e.

y f Application filed January 30, 1915. Serial No. 5,2552.

To all whom t may concern.'

Be it known that I, FREDERioK H. Honn- ING, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of-Chicago, county of Cook, and State of Illinois, haveJ invented certain new and useful Improvements in Starting-Couplings for High-Tension Magnetos, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

The invention relates to high tension magnetos for explosive engines and seeks to provide an improved coupling for accelerating the movement of the magneto armature and thereby producing an effective spark for starting the engine The invention 4consists in the features of improvement hereinafter set forth, illustrated in the preferred form in the accompanying drawings and more particularly pointed out in the appended claims. y y

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a view in elevation of the magneto with the improved' coupling shown in section. Fig. 2 is a cross section on the line'2-J2 of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a similar view, showing lthe parts in shifted position.

In the construction shown, the magnetol, which may be of any suitable construction,

is mounted upon a 'base plate 2. The iInproved coupling, through which the arma.'

ture shaft 3 is driven, comprises driving and driven members which are preferably 'in the form of disks 4 and 5. The driven member or disk 5 is connected to rotate with the armature shaft and is preferably fixed thereto or formed in piece therewith as shown. In the preferred form shown the driven disk is provided with a central hub a peripheral flange 7.

The driving disk 4 is also preferably provided with a peripheral flange 8 and with a central hub portion 9 lwhich is rotatably mounted upon the armature shaft and 'abuts, as shown, against the hub portion 6 of the driven disk 5. The driving disk or member is held in place by a nut 10 and washer 11 which are mounted upon the reduced, threaded, outer end of the armature shaft `and which, in the particular construction shown, are arranged within a central recess in the outer face of the driving disk or member 4. The driving disk or member 4 is connected to the shaft of the explosive-engine in. any suitable manner. In the construction shown it is connected by screws 12 to a flanged couportion 6 and pling member 13 on the end of a countershaft 14, which is arranged in linevwith'the armature shaft 8.

The hub 9 of the driving member is provided at its inner end with a projecting lug 15 Which extends within a cutaway space or recess in the hub 6 of the driven disk or vmember 5. This lug vcoperates with a shoulder or stop 16 at one end of the recess in the hub 6 of the driven member to thereby limit the relative rotary movement of the driving and driven members. A spring 17 is coiled about the hub' ortions G and 9 and isinclosed within the isk flanges. 7 and 8.1

The inner hook end of the spring engages av recess 18 in the driven disk hub 6, as shown in Figs. 2 and 3, while the outer'hook end of the spring engages a 'lug .1 9 (see Fig. 1)

on the driving disk.

By placing the spring 17i`1ndermtensicn land then releasing it, a quick accelerated vided vfor normally connecting the driving and driven members of the coupling. But, 4

in starting the engine,` a suitable trip is employed torelease the locking dog to thereby permit the relative rotation of the coupling members whereby the spring 17 isv placed under tension and the accelerated movement of the armature shaft effected.

In the prefenred construction shown, a hook-like locking dog 20 is pivotally mounted on the inner face of the disk 5, adjacent the shoulder or stop 16 tliereof,` and this dog is arranged to hook over the projecting lug-15 of the driving disk and normally hold the latter in engagement with the stop shoulder .16, as shown in'Fig. 2. The locking dog is provided with a tail 21 which projects radially through a slot 22 in the flange 7 of the disk 5. A spring 23 fixed to the inner face of` the disk 5 engages the dog 20 and holds it in normal locking position in engagement with the lng 15and with lthe tail 21' at the forward end\of the slot 22. The coupling members arethus, ordinarily locked together against relative rotation and positively rotate the armature shaft. 3.

A shiftable trip 24C for releasing the locking dog is preferably mounted upon .a stationary part and .for this purpose is pivoted between its ends upon a bracket 25 that is fixed to an extension of the lbase plate 2. This trip can be shifted from an idle, inoperative position shown in Fig. 2 to an operative position shown in Fig. 3, in which the inner working end of the dog engages the adjacent portions of the flanges 7 and 8 of the coupling members. .A leaf spring Q6 fixed to one side of the bracket 25 is provided with a detent 27 which is arranged to engage the tail of the trip 2j and hold the latter in operative position.

In its operative position, the inner end of the trip 2i is in the path of movement of the tail 21 of the locking dog 20 and is also in the path of movement of a projecting cam lug 2S that is formed upon the fiange 8 of the driving` disk or member. Preferably also the flange 'i' of the driven disk or member is provided with a project-ing lug 29 which is arranged to coperate with the trip 2i.

lVhen the engine is ruiming, the members or disks of the couplingl are, as stated, locked together by the dog 20, and the armature shaft is positively driven.' Under such conditions, as shown in Fig. 2 the tail 21 of the locking dog is located slightly in advance of the lug' 29 on the driven member or disk and is considerably inA advance of the cam lug 28 on the driving member; In starting the engine, the trip 2i is shifted by any suitable means from the position shown in Fig. 2 to that shown in Fig. 3 and it is yieldingly held in the latter, operative position by the spring-held detent. The vengine shaft is then slowly rotated either by hand or by a suitable starting motor. This of course rotates the magneto coupling and the armature shaft 3 until the inner end of the trip Q4 encounters the tail-.21 of the locking dog and the lug 29 of the driven coupling member. The dog is then shifted against the tension of the spring 23 to its released `position as shown in Fig. 3 and the movement of the driven coupling member and of the arn-a-ture shaft 3 is arrested. The continued forward movement of the driving coupling mei'nbcr i will place the spring 1T under tension and this forward` relative movement of the driving coupling member will continue until the cam lug 28 tdiereon strikes the trip 24 and shifts it tol itsainoperative position. The driven member and the armature shaft are then released and are moved quickly forward by the spring 17 to produce a strong spark in the engine cylinder. At the end of this relative forward moventent of the driven coupling member, the inclined or cam shaped forward end of the locking dog 20 engages and rides over the lug 15 and the hook of the locking dog snaps into place to again hold the lug against -the shoulder 16. The coupling members are then again locked together and rota-te in unison in forward direction. If one spark is insufficient to start the engine, the trip Q -L can again be shifted to operative position t0 produce another accelerated movement of the armature shaft as above described.

lVith the improved coupling, whenv theV- parture from the essentials of the invention as defined in t-he claims.

I claiu: as my invent-ion:

l. A starting coupling for igniter magnetos comprising co-axial, relatively rotatable driving and driven members, a shiftable, spring held locking dog normally connecting said members to positively hold the sante against -relative rotation, an actuating spring interposed between said members, a trip. mounted on the stationary partl and arranged to successively engage and release said locking dog and arrest said driven member to thereby place said spring under tension and means for automatically shifting said trip to thereby release said driven member.

Q. A starting coupling for igniter magnetos comprising co-axial relatively rotatable driving and driven members, a locking` dog shiftably mounted on said driven niember and normally engaging said driving member to thereby positively hold the same against relative rotation, an actuating spring interposed between said members, a trip mounted on a stationary aart arranged to engage and release sai-.d loc ring dog and to engage and arrest said driven member and means on said driving member for shifting said trip to inoperative position.

3. A starting coupling for igniter magnetos comprising coaxial, relatively rotatable driving and driven members, a spring held locking dog pivotally mounted on said driven member to move to and from the axis thereof, said dog normally engaging said driving member to thereby positively hohl said members against relative rotation, an actuating spring interposed between said members, a trip arranged vto engage and release said locking dog and arrest said driven member, and a cam on said driving member for\shifting said trip to inoperative position.

4. A starting coupling for igniter mag- I' said driven disk having netos comprising coaxial, relatively rotatel ble driving and driven disks foroverlappinp;

the hub portions, a torsion spring coiled about its hub portions and having. ollset ends engaging seats in said disks, the iatter having` flanges for inclosing s aid. spring, a projectingL step device, ai sliiitable, spring held locking dog Vmounted on said driven disk and arranged to engage said driving disk to normally` hold said disks against relative rotation,. ,n said dog having a part' projectingl adjacent said stop device, a sliiftable trip arranged l to successively engage the projecting part'of said'dog and said stop device, and a cam lug on said driving disk for shifting said trip to inoperative position.

5. in a starting coupling1 for igniter mag netos, thecoinliination of co-aXi-al, relatively inovable, driving and driven disks lia-ving Vnnb portions provided with a cooperating lng and stop, a spring coiled about said linie portions 'and connected at its ends to said members, said disks having iianges inclosing said spring, saiddriven disk having a. projecting stop device, a. shiftalile trip arranged tofengage said stop device and arrest said driven disk, a cani lng on the flange of said driving disk for shifting said trip to inoperative position, and a'spring device for yieldingly holding said trip in operative position. n 4 y 6. A starting couplingfor igniler mag# netos comprising relatively movableriving and driven disks having hub portions, a*

projecting lug' on the hubl of'said driving disk, a cooperating stopon the huh of said 'driven disk,a spring `coiled about saidl hubf portions and `connected at its ends to saidA disks,la spring-pressed locking dog onA said driven kdisk normally engaging said lug and holding the same in engagement v,with said stop, a trip for engaging and releasing said dog and arresting said driven member, and

a Cam lue; onv said drivingimeniber `for shift inp,` said 'trip to inoperative` position.

starting couplingv for igniter mag-- netos comprising relatively movable driving and driven disks having hub portions, a projecting lng on the liub of said driving disk,

a cooperating stopfen the hub of said drivenA disk, a spring'. coiled abdiit said hub portions and connected at its endsgf'to said disks, the latter having flanges inclrsing` said spring, a springheld looking dog on said driven disk and engaging said lug to normally hold the same in engagement with said stop,

said dog having a tail portion projecting outwardly through a Slot in the liange of said driven disk, a shiftable trip on a stationary part arranged to engage the tail of said dog to release the same and hold said driven disk against movement, and7 a projecting cani on the flange of said driving disk for Shifting said tripv to inoperative position.'

8., In a starting coupling for igniter magnetos, the con'ibination with a magneto shaftand a stationary part of (zo-axial, relatively rotatable driving` and driven members for rotating said shaft, means positively connecting said members against relative rotation, an actuating spring interposed between said members for imparting an accelerated rotary movement to said driven member, and zi trip device inountedon said stationary apart and arranged toV successively engage 

